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Rates of penetration of sunflower oil into beds of 3 types of chocolate crumb have been measured and the results analyzed using the Washburn-Rideal theory. The data show that the rates are a function of both the specific surface area of the crumb particles and their surface composition. Addition of an emulsifier to the oil reduces the penetration rate into the crumb made with full-cream milk powder, whereas for crumbs containing skimmed-milk powder, rates go through a maximum with increase of emulsifier concentration. Rheological data for dispersions of crumb in oil were fitted to the Casson equation. An inverse correlation was found between penetration rates and Casson yield values.

Traceability is the ability to follow the movement of a food product and its constituents up and down the food chain in order to prevent unsafe foods from reaching consumers. Any traceability system should be constructed with due consideration for the likely product market and potential consumers. This chapter begins by setting out the key definitions of food traceability, before exploring the benefits of traceability for food allergens specifically and reviewing relevant pieces of legislation, standards and guidance. The chapter then discusses the key requirements of a traceability system, how to build a system, examples of available systems and the role of analytical methods in such a system.

The surface of caramel has been imaged using pulsed force atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning thermal microscopy, revealing shallow depressions in the surface of 1 to 10μm in dia that have a higher adhesion to the silicon AFM probe and a lower stiffness and different thermal character than the surrounding sample. This is consistent with the view of caramel as fat droplets within a matrix of sugars. As confirmation, the depressed regions were identified by infrared microscopy as consisting mainly of fat in a matrix of sugar. AFM also reveals that regions surrounding the depressions are decorated with thin (about 6nm) plate-like features that display a higher stiffness than the rest of the matrix. We propose that these are of crystalline origin and most probably consist of fat.